For toddlers who have not been exposed to berries yet, consult a pediatrician before serving berries. Blueberries are fine to serve as they are not really berries. They are actually from the cranberry family. Berries may cause allergic reactions in young children.
Mix together:
blueberries
raspberries
black berries
sliced strawberries
Serve topped with whipped topping.
These menus all assume that you are working around a $1 personal pizza from the grocery store. My daughters and daycare children love these, so I try to come up with different combinations of foods to serve with them.
They do *not* each get there own pizza. They must all share the pizza, whether we have 2 or 6 children here at the time. The point is to make a more healthy, frugal meal. Simply split the pieces of pizza between them all, and add one of the following combinations to the plate. Don’t forget to give them each a cup of milk.
apple slices and peanut butter***
apple slices with cheese
banana slices and grapes*
corn and peas
green beans and carrots
celery and carrot sticks with peanut butter***
fruit cocktail
applesauce and strawberries**
berry mixture**
fruit salad
salad mix
Can you think of any other combinations? Please share.
* Grapes should be cut into quarters for small children.
**Pediatricians believe that berries should not be given to children until ages 1, 2, or even 3 - they may have allergic reactions. Only you and your child’s pediatrician can determing if your child is ready.
***Some children have allergic reactions to peanut butter. Consult your young child’s pediatrician if your child has not been introduced to peanut butter yet.
In our area we have a grocery store called IGA. They have dollar sales every so often that last a week. Everything in the store is not a dollar, but quite a bit is a dollar or less. Many are store brands. Here is a list of many of the dollar deals that I have found:
pasta/rice sides or pasta roni
boxed mac and cheese (3 or 4 for $1)
cream cheese
graham cracker crust
whipped topping
canned vegetables (2 or 3 for $1)
cucumbers (2 for $1)
1 pound baby carrots (2 for $1)
bags of spinach, cabbage and lettuce mixes
salad dressing
oranges (3 for $1)
grapefruit (2 for $1)
bananas (3 pounds for $1)
5 pounds potatoes
ramen noodles (6-8 for $1)
baked beans
soup (2 for $1)
gravy (3 for $1)
hot dogs
personal size pizzas
english muffins (2 for $1)
bagels
24 oz apple sauce
canned pears
canned peaches
canned pineapple
canned mixed fruit
large cans of apple pie filling
large cans of pumpkin puree
There are many things that can be made with these items. In my home, we usually have 3 to 5 people eating a meal. Each menu will serve 5 or 6 people. Here are some ideas, assuming that you already have some meat, baking needs and condiments on hand. You will also need eggs, cheese and milk.
Breakfast:
English muffins with peanut butter, banana, milk
Bagel with cream cheese, fruit cocktail, milk
Homemade whole wheat bread with peanut butter, applesauce, milk
Homemade pumpkin muffins with butter, pears, milk
Banana pancakes topped with apple pie filling, milk
Homemade hash browns, omelet, milk
English muffin breakfast pizza with pineapples, milk
Dessert:
Apple pie filling topped with whipped topping
Peaches and pears topped with whipped topping
Bananas topped with whipped topping
Homemade cheesecake
Pumpkin Pie
Lunch/Dinner:
Mac and cheese with hot dogs and corn, milk
Ramen noodles, hot dog, green beans, milk
Casserole: hot dogs, corn and potatoes, milk
1 individual pizza, salad, milk
Pasta/rice side, hot dog, salad, milk
Shepherd’s pie, salad, milk
Baked beans, hot dog, homemade bread with butter, milk
I’m sure that you can come up with other ideas as well.
I usually have leftovers, which are frozen whenever possible. Any freezer plan site will be able to tell you what can and cannot be frozen. Even if there is just 1 or 2 teaspoons of vegetables, or meat, I freeze them for soups or casseroles later on.
Also remember, there are plenty of snacks listed above as well.
Some of the meals above end up costing less than 30 cents per person, about $1.25 per meal. Sometimes less, often a bit more.
(Recipes)
Pasta sides meal:
1 box of pasta sides/roni, cooked as directed
1/4 to 1/2 pound chicken, cut small and fired in a little Shed’s Spread Light - add to pasta side when it is time to let the side sit for a few minutes, mix and cover.
Serve with a salad, or add a cooked vegetable before covering to sit.
Baked Beans:
1 can beans
1 cut up and cooked hot dog
a little ketchup
a little molasses
Cook and serve with homemade bread topped with butter. We like to sop the bean juice up with the bread and butter. Yum!
Cheesecake:
I’m pretty sure this is a Kraft recipe, but I am not positive. We have been using it for years and don’t even have/need a written recipe for it.
Mix 1 package (8 oz, I believe) cream cheese, 1 (8 oz) tub of whipped topping and 1/3 cup of sugar with an electric mixer. Spoon into a graham cracker crust, and refrigerate.
Shepherd’s Pie:
In a casserole pan, place 1/2 to 1 pound browned ground beef, 1 can of corn with 1/4 to 1/2 of the liquid, and then top with mashed potato (enough for your family). You can sprinkle with cheese if you wish. Serve with a salad.
Hope these ideas are helpful.
Warmest Wishes,
Shannon
The other day, at the grocery store, I noticed packages of bacon for under $2.00. This was great! I picked a package up and brought it home.
We each eat two slices at breakfast. I make us each two french toast or pancakes, and I top them with a dollop of whipped topping left over from the holidays, and some fruit or berries.
Serve with a glass of milk and enjoy.
